Amanda Brecker set to release her second album, "Brazilian Passion"

"Brazilian Passion," the second solo album of 25-year old vocalist Amanda Brecker, the very talented and beautiful daughter of Brazilian virtuoso pianist Eliane Elias & American jazz trumpet master Randy Brecker, is scheduled to hit the stores in Japan next week, on June 17. However, even before the official release on Birds Records, "Brazilian Passion" was awarded with the "SJ Gold Disc" in the June issue of Japan's jazz bible, "Swing Journal" magazine, like had happened in 2008 with her debut CD, the pop-oriented "Here I Am".

Among the album tracks are Brazilian ("Felicidade," "Água de Beber") and jazz standards ("Fly Me To The Moon," "Autumn Leaves"), as well as four originals by Amanda: "In The Sun," "Thirsty," "Meant To Be" and "Deny Deny."

Ivan Lins guests on his lovely ballad "Lembra de Mim" and the opening track "Ai Ai Ai Ai Ai." Among the musicians are Ray Marchica (drums), Rafael Barata (drums & percussion), Zev Kats (electric bass), Ross Traut & Oscar Castro-Neves ("alternated guitars depending on the song, and some they played together," explains Amanda), and Andy Ezrin (piano & keyboards).

(Amanda with her parents Eliane Elias & Randy Brecker)